Financial Literacy Month

Did you know that April is Financial Literacy Month? Help those who need to brush up on their personal finance skills save some cash by providing these great resources and taking advantage of a few yourself:

Financial Literacy
Compiled by CEFLS staff, this page has resources from all around the Internet, through the various information guides offered by CEFLS and member libraries, books, ebooks, and e-magazines.

Consumer.gov
Purposefully written in very simple language, this website developed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) offers the basics of understanding money, credit, banking, scams, and more.

Money Smart Week
Participate in “Money Smart Week @ Your Library,” a national initiative between the ALA and the Federal Reserve Bank (Chicago) to provide financial literacy programming to help members of your community better manage their personal finances.

Free Publications for Libraries
Free financial education materials you can share with patrons or use in presentations. All materials are free from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and other government agencies. Order up to 1,000 free copies of each publication, each available in English and Spanish.

Stay Connected
Subscribe to a monthly e-newsletter called Penn Corner published by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that highlights the work the FTC is doing in regards to consumer protection and features free resources to help you avoid fraud.

Money Smart Computer-Based Instruction
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is best known for insuring bank account. However, this office also provides financial education resources that help adults and young adults make informed financial decisions and take charge of their finances. Useful topics covered on this site include the basics of borrowing money wisely, using a spending plan to achieve financial goals, and how to use banking products effectively.

MyMoney.gov: Calculators, Worksheets, and Checklists
This website helps consumers locate and use online calculators, budget worksheets, planning checklists, and other helpful financial planning aids that are available free of charge from the federal government. For easy navigation, the site is organized around the “My Money Five Principles,” which are: Earn, Save & Invest, Protect, Spend, and Borrow.

Smart Investing @ Your Library
A partnership between the FINRA Investor Education Foundation and the American Library Association (ALA) offers grant opportunities for public libraries to enhance their financial literacy programming. The program also provides great resources and tools to download and share with patrons.

Buying a Home
A toolkit with general and state-specific information about topics regarding home buying. The website provides free resources to guide consumers through the nine key steps to buying a home.

Taking the Mystery Out of Retirement Planning
Available in both English and Spanish, this online version of Taking the Mystery Out of Retirement Planning includes interactive worksheets that you complete as you read each chapter. You can download the fully-illustrated 62-page PDF narrative or call 1-866-444-3272 to order copies.

Retirement Toolkit
This toolkit includes a list of publications and interactive tools to help in planning, plus information on how to contact the three federal agencies involved in key elements of retirement planning and security (Department of Labor, Social Security Administration, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) with specific questions.